Home, Bittersweet Home
by Angelforceus
Summary: CHAPTER 2 UPLOADED! Directly after the defeat of Majora's Mask, Link returns to his homeland of Hyrule. But things have changed. He has suddenly gained 7 years, and the land is in ruin. What has caused all this? It is up to Link to find out...
1. Returning Home

Home, Bittersweet Home

AN: Well, I don't own Zelda; Nintendo does. This is my first attempt at a fic with an actual storyline! [gasp!] Anyways, enjoy! ^_^

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Home, Bittersweet Home

Chapter 1

When the deadly blade of Link's cutlass slashed at the weakened Majora's Wrath for the last and final time, the quest was over. The evil entity gave a final screech that echoed throughout the land of Termina, and lost all life. It limped over, and materialized into dust with a bright light.

Link lost consciousness. 

When the Hero of Time had awakened with Epona's whinny, he had seen the Skull Kid, the Giants, and the Happy Mask Salesman. There is no need to explain what happened here, since you already know. After sorrowful farewells and good byes, the young boy rode off, and disappeared in the horizon.

Of course, this doesn't exactly mean that he left right then and there. He enjoyed the remnants of the already-vivacious Carnival of Time; partly because he still had his part to play in the Indi Go-gos band as the shell of Mikau, and he also wanted to get a glimpse of the purely joyous wedding of Kafei and Anju.

But the main reason the Hero of Time hesitated to leave was due to the fact that Termina felt like a second home to him, and the thought of never seeing it again left a throbbing feeling in his soul, somewhere deep down where it was more painful.

He eventually did leave. He had to. He was bound by the inevitable chains of Destiny, the same chains that cruelly stole seven years of his life, and hastily gave them back. The same chains that forced him to become nothing more than a vagrant in the land of Hyrule, as temporary as it may be. Perhaps Destiny was kind to him at that moment, (or cruel, depending on your point of view) because now he would no longer be a mere wanderer in his homeland. 

No, Destiny had much bigger plans for the young boy.

~*~*~*~*~

It ended where it all started. Or, in this tale's case, it started where it ended. Because the hidden woods of Termina were both the endings and beginnings of great adventures that the young Hylian named Link, raised in Kokiri Village and friends of the fairies, experienced.

He rode his rusty-brown horse through the thick mist of the forest, where no birds sang and no trees whispered, and found himself in a familiar trance. It was the kind of trance he often fell in when he was too lost in thought, too far back in the recesses of his mind, digging and sorting things out…painfully, sometimes.

The scene felt like Déjà vu to Link. He half expected two tinkering fairies to jump up at him and knock him off Epona, followed by a certain Skull Kid in an evil mask stealing his Ocarina. Then he would take chase, and end up in a land where three days repeated unmercifully, laughing and pointing at him with mocking fingers. It would start all over again.

He knew better than that, of course, but then again, Déjà vu was a common for him, so it was only right that he expected of it. After living the same three days over, differently maybe, but still the same three days, Link was still getting adjusted to the sudden change. The uneasy feeling of threat from the moon crashing into the land does not simply disappear in a few hours time.

Perchance it was because of all this thinking of time and strange manipulation of it that the outcome of stepping through the portal was so peculiar. Or perhaps it was only Destiny's hand in the entire circumstance, considering it always seemed to pull on Link's strings whenever it felt unhappy with the current mediocrity of the world. Or it could have been the unknown evil that Link carried with him to the passage that led to another land…oblivious or otherwise.

Whatever reason it was, which ever mistake had been made, when Link stepped past the threshold of the Portal Through The Dimensions (ignoring the strange stinging sensation that came with it) and appeared through to the other side, things were not as they seemed.

Now, the Lost Woods of Hyrule and the Hidden Woods of Termina are different altogether, with the exception of the same eerie "lost" feeling you often got when straying too far. But in the Lost Woods, signs of life around you was almost tangible. The trees, the chitter chatter of birds, and even the liveliness of the southern winds told you that you're never alone. Often times, you could even hear the giggling and murmuring of fairies if you were lucky enough. 

Apparently, the Lost Woods had changed much since Link last visited.

The silence shrewdly watched over everything, and let nothing out of its tight wrath. Link could only hear the sound of Epona's timid hooves crushing the grass beneath them, and his own already quickening heartbeat.

For a fleeting moment, the poor confused boy thought that he had not even left Termina's Hidden Woods. However, the sleek shape of the trees told him otherwise, as well as the trademark breeze that was scented like fairies have ridden the wind there more than once.

"Where are we?" he asked all the same, but the only retort he got was a small snort from Epona.

The aura of variance radiated out of the forest like heat from the sun, but much more unsettled. Link's horse partner kicked at the dirt below impatiently, awaiting a command from her master. None came, though, for instead the boy attempted to dismount Epona.

Attempted_._

It came as a surprise: the reality that he was suddenly higher off the ground than usual. Recklessly misjudging the dismount without a single second-look, the Hero of Time met the ground faster than usual, and landed on his back, with a single boot somehow tangled ungracefully in the reins. Epona nickered, and Link could have sworn that she was chortling at him.

"Yeah, real funny," replied the boy, sarcasm coating every word while shaking off the stubborn reins. He tried to cover his confused look with a glare at Epona, but failed miserably when he noticed something very strange indeed.

"Since when did you get so big, girl?" He questioned the mare, once again expectant of no answer.

Indeed, Epona had grown a good height taller than a few minutes ago; she seemed about the same size as she was seven years older, back when he was seven years older, too.

The thought struck him like a sack of granite, and left the same side effects as if it really did. Confusion, anxiety, and fear joined together and pricked a most unlikely but appalling idea into his mind.

He brought his hands up to his face only inches away, and examined them with a fierceness that was not necessary. They were not the hands of a child. He brought those same hands to his face, and felt more matured features than what he once had. Panic almost found him at that fragile moment, but after all, he was the Hero of Time, and alarm was an emotion that did not come smoothly. He simply refused to believe it, as insincere to himself as it may sound.

He stood shakily on his feet, still not used to the new height even though he had experienced it once. He almost fell over, not because of balance, but because of shock and dismay, and had to stagger onto Epona to keep on his feet.

Seven years had been stolen once again.

~*~*~*~*~

It took a lot of thinking, a lot of wandering, and a lot of luck to get through the Lost Woods in his shattered state. Link felt like cursing to the sky, he felt like walking around in circles for an infinite time, he felt like laughing hysterically. But he did none of these. He was asking one question:

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What happened?

So he rode on Epona, (after some difficulty mounting the horse in his new condition) and simply strayed. In actuality, it was the trusty steed herself that did most of the work getting out of the Lost Woods. It wasn't hard; animals have a wonderful sense of direction.

So when the trees gracefully opened up to reveal the land beyond, Epona rushed over to it, obviously not very reluctant to leave the forest. 

The feel of a chilly wind on his face awakened Link from his deep thinking, and he gazed around with a sense of distress radiating from him. The lands had changed, Link noted to himself.

There was no Kokiri village. There were no children-like inhabitants running around without a care in the world. There were no fairies, nor were there wooden houses (except one) where the Kokiri once lived, but in its place, dirty brown stumps.

But there was a small river that flowed south and led out into Hyrule field, and there were a few scattered trees here and there, with their limbs torn down from the rough winds that occupied the area, and there were patches of dried, burned ground. And most interestingly, there was a small wooden dwelling in the same exact spot where Mido's house was, looking alone and disheveled.

It didn't look anything like Mido's house though; the only thing in common it shared was the location, which happened to be exact. The roof was made from large heart-shaped leaves, the kind you find deep inside the woods. They were sewn together with rough, thin vines from the same tree as the leaves, and amazingly, it was still fresh and green. It must have been newly made, unlike the rest of the little home, whose walls were cracked and the foundation slanted at the mercy of the earth.

A light was emitting from inside; it was the only sign of life inside the once Kokiri-clearing, and Link welcomed it in his confused situation. Having nothing better to do, and with slight hesitation, he moved towards the small dwelling, desperate for answers.

*~*~*~*~*~*

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Thump thump thump! went Link's fist pounding the door, careful not to do so too hard, or he may break down the wood-rotten door. The only reply was a bitter silence.

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Thump thump thump! he continued a bit harder and louder, but once again, there was no reply.

"Hello? Is there anyone there? Heeellloo?"

Link's sensitive Hylian ears picked up a faint tumult inside the little home, for Hylians have a very good earshot reach. So, hearing this, his dwindling determination became inspired once again, and he continued his ranting to the poor person inside.

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THUMP THUMP THUMP!

"Hello?!"

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THUMP THUMP THUM-

He was known to be reckless every now and then, and this was a fine example of one of those times. The force of Link's hardened gold gauntlet fist and experience of many battles was too much for the poor little wooden door, and it fell right off of its hinges, and landed with a slow 'thud' on the ground. The dust it kicked up was thick and brown, and the young man sneezed a few times before he finally could make out the figure inside.

"Please! Don't hurt me!" said a wailing voice in the shadowy corners. "I have done nothing wrong! Tell the King that I will finish my rounds at the castle, but he must not treat us all like flea-ridden Wolfos!"

Link was speechless, and I'm sure that if you were in his place, you'd be speechless, too. There, huddling in the small corner like a scared dog, was the Windmill Man, as Link had come to call him.

The same Windmill man that taught him that enchanted song that brought rain down onto the country and the same one that played on and on through the night, residing at Clock Town, or in the Laundry Pool, when neighbors decided his playing was too much of a nuisance.

Finally words scrambled out of the Kokiri's throat and toppled off his tongue.

"I-I'm not here to hurt you," he said as reassuringly as possible at the moment.

An awkward silence followed, and Link was getting weary of it.

"You're not? You mean…you're not one of the King's servants…are you?"

"No…I have nothing to do with the royal family."

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Not anymore, anyway.

Suddenly the cowardly man burst into a mood of cheerfulness that surprised Link, and he took a small step backwards.

"Really?! Really!! Well, then! I suppose you were wondering what that was about, eh? A real surprise to rush into one of the run away servants, isn't it? Ha ha! I hope I hadn't scared you too much."

"No, you didn't," Link retorted, although it was a slight lie. He wasn't in any mood for small talk, so he skipped all the usual pleasantries and went right to his questions. "Tell me, am I still in Hyrule?"

"Hyrule?" the Windmill Man questioned, a grimness setting into his features. "Yes, I suppose you could still call it that…but no one does. Not anymore. Technically, yes, this is still the land of Hyrule, but now it is just called the Cursed Land. Cursed by the bad happenings of late. Or at least that's what the people across the sea call it."

"People across the sea?" Questions started to pop up in Link's head and he tried to sort them all out, but it didn't help any. "What do you mean?? What made it become the Cursed Land?"

"Have you been living in a cave or something, boy?" said the Windmill Man in pure shock. "Don't you know what has become of Hyrule during these long, seven years?"

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Seven years… the words echoed relentlessly in his mind, but he paid them no heed for the moment being.

"No, I don't. I'm a…newcomer…"

"A newcomer, then?" the man across the dwelling repeated. Across the dwelling that Link still hadn't crossed the threshold. "Well, I suppose those fancy schools over in the Dwail Islands, those green islands across the sea, haven't bothered to teach you about the crusty old Cursed Land?" 

A slight hint of insolence was buried in his loud tones, and Link planned to get rid of that if he wanted to know more.

"All the more reason I came to you," he said, trying in an effective attempt to flatter the poor man.

"…Well, yes, I suppose you should then. Why are you still standing out there, silly Islander? Get in here, and I'll tell you all I remember…And don't forget to close the door behind you!" he added.

The "Islander" did as he was told, with the exception of the last request, which was no longer do-able.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Seven years ago, is when it started, I remember. And I remember it well. Don't touch that! 'Twas a gift of fine gold from the King, when he was kinder. Yes, that's better. Now, then…where should I start?"

"The beginning would be nice," said Link, impatient with all this incessant talk, when all he wanted was answers.

"Yes, yes! But there are many beginnings. The weather, I suppose. Yes, the weather. It started to rain, and although that might not have much to do with the political trouble of things today, the weather is what started it all. It wasn't just normal rain, mind you, it was cold, stinging rain. No one dared to go outside when this rain started, and it showered almost all the time, even at night. Especially at night. Only the brave and tolerant of cold would venture outside, and only then when it was necessary. The rains tore up the land and the trees, and darkened the sky to a deep gray.

"This is where the trouble started. The Pirates (I believe back then they were called the Guerdos…? Or was it Gurodos? Well, something with a "G". ) Anyway, their lands became flooded, and they were unprepared, considering they get less than a foot of rain each year. They really couldn't swim, there was no need for it, and so many died when the floodwaters reached over their heads. Desperately, they asked the King for his help. They wanted his boats and oars and spears, since the King had many. Of course, they were denied, due to their conflicting past.

"The Pirates were furious. They were simply left there to die, since they couldn't get back to their flooded homes, and they blamed the King and all Hylians because of it. They had to blame something, just like everyone, and they blamed all Hylians. They made this clear by slaughtering all that they saw, children or no. 

"This would not do for the King. His rage became unstoppable, and he ordered all of his soldiers to track down the Pirates, and have no mercy on their screams and cries of pity. The Pirates were outnumbered a thousand to one and they were no match for Hyrule's (it was still called that back then, you know) finest soldiers. Very soon they were on the edge of extinction. They were more forlorn than ever before…

"Then, a strange thing happened. A large ship, larger than the even the King's grand warship, landed on the shores of Hyrule. It was huge, boy. You should have seen it. It could have carried ten armies, and actually, it did. On it were seasoned warriors, thousands of bold weapons, and even _royalty._ For you see, this ship was a royal ship, from the Dwail Islands, and on it was a prince. Prince Kafei. Your jaw is about to drop on the floor, Islander, close your mouth. As I was saying, they were strayed here by the beating rains, and in the storm they landed in Hyrule. Their original mission was to expand their lands by seeking out new unexplored territory. But, they needed to repair their ship and they had lost most of their repair supplies in the storm, not to mention the men were cold and hungry, despite being bold at heart.

"By chance, they ran into the Pirates and befriended them. To make a long story short, (too late, pehaps) the Pirates thought of an ingenious idea. If they could use the resources that were onboard the ship, for they had already taken care of getting on the good side of Prince Kafei, then they could easily defeat the King. 

"Prince Kafei was a clever one, also. If he could overthrow the King of Hyrule, the territory of Dwail would expand ten times, and therefore their country would grow in power just as much. He thought his father would be proud of him, since he was always looking for that type of approval. 

"And so Prince Kafei, along with the Pirates, declared war with Hyrule. Battles have been fought everywhere on this land, probably even where you stand right now. Outside, you can see blood stains on the field. It's a gruesome sight. The war is still going on today, changing the way everyone lives. 

"The people of Dwail fixed their ship with newly acquired supplies and headed off, only to bring back more armies. The war may still be raging, but I fear soon that it will be over. Prince Kafei has his eye on Princess Zelda and he thought up of an idea to win her hand. If they are to wed, then the two nations would be united and there would be no need for war. I said to close your mouth, boy. Poor Kafei, I think. All this to win the approval of his father, although he has been acting strange lately. I don't even think he loves the Princess, not much less deserve the girl. The Princess probably hates him twenty times over. She shows it, they say."

After this, he stopped. Link gazed on, expecting more, but none came.

"Well? What's the rest?"

"There is no 'rest', Islander. I have brought you up to date, and these are the current happenings."

Link stood up and let the information sink into his thoughts like a rock sinking into a soft riverbed. Then a thought stuck him.

"If you are Hylian, why are you telling this to me? Since I am an…"Islander", shouldn't I be your enemy?"

"No, no, no. Might as well tell the young people of Dwail the truth. Might make them change the world when they're older."

"Oh." Outside Epona neighed, feeling neglected. "Oh!"

The young man swiftly turned around, and headed back outside.

"Hey, where are you going?! What exactly do you think you're going to do?" said the Windmill Man, standing up and calling through the door, but Link was already on Epona and starting to ride off. He had to do something; he couldn't just let Hyrule fall apart like

"I don't know!" Link called back. "Time will tell!"

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Just like it always does…

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AN: Like it? Hate it? PLEASE REVIEW! I need feedback! ^_^ Oh, and if Kafei seems a bit out of character, that's because he's _supposed_ to be. More will be explained in later chapters. (That is, if there's going to _be_ later chapters…it all depends on the reviews I get…) * hint hint * 


	2. Reunion

AN: For those of you who want to know why the heck the "Romance" genre is in here, it's because…well, there's gonna be some romance! ^_^; It doesn't happen all at once, people, and at first it'll be subtle. Just be patient, and I promise you'll see plenty of romance! 

As for the comment of Link suddenly gaining 7 years without much focus on it from the story, you have to understand that the "evil" had already planned this out from the beginning. That's why it was so abrupt and didn't seem to bring that much attention. I can't say much more, unless you want me to ruin the plot, and what kind of fun would that be, eh? Read and enjoy! 

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Home, Bittersweet Home

Chapter 2

The evening sun was already starting to sink over the horizon as Link and Epona trotted off into the barren, central part of the once beautiful country. The Hero glanced about the field that was once covered in lush green; now it was nothing more than a color of dark brown with spots of crimson staining the it in almost every direction. Blood. Blood that had been spilled in countless battles across Hyrule, the Cursed Land.

It made his stomach tie up in a knot, the thought that this had happened in a mere seven years. It looked like something that could only be done in a long century, filled with infinite plagues of evil and darkness. Seven years was too soon, much too quick for any of this to happen. 

Only a remarkably influential evil could have caused so much havoc in so little time.

_Ganon?_

Link shook his head, banishing the disturbing thought in the process. No, Ganon was sealed in the dimension between time; there was no possible way of him breaking free of the seal that bound him. 

He rode on, with the thought hovering over him like a rebellious shadow. 

_This all started when I stepped through that portal, _he thought quietly. _How? How could that have effected Hryule's fate?_

The question repeated itself over and over without mercy, and the same answer appeared every time:

_I have no clue._

He sighed, having a sudden feeling of melancholy with these thoughts. If he had no where to start, no clue what to do, then how was he supposed to pull this off?!

He didn't have to do anything, of course. He could have just let the country fall apart even more, if that was possible. Link could have just walked away from all the problems, turning his back to everything. But in doing that, he was abandoning his Destiny. And by abandoning Destiny, he could turn himself into an evil of the world…

It reminded him of a saying he had once heard, back when he still thought he was a Kokiri. The Deku tree had said it. It had said it in those tough, but kind and wise old tones that Link sometimes yearned to hear:

_There is no pure evil that did not choose to be so. The only pure evil comes from man's shadow…The shadow he leaves by turning his back to the light._

…Even though he _could_ turn away, turning his back to his Destiny… he wouldn't. He would not leave a shadow, like so many had done before him, he promised himself.

And so, with a renewed spirit and confidence, Link urged Epona to her fastest stride, and rode off towards Hyrule castle.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was not as he had remembered. It was bad enough that he had suddenly gained seven years, with the action of simply stepping through the Portal. It was bad enough that the paths were twisted and darkened, and that the land was infected with more deadly, disgusting creatures. It was bad enough that a towering Stalchild had almost gashed him, twice as big as they used to be, and especially considering that the sun still hadn't fallen into the horizon yet. If it weren't for Epona's abrupt burst of speed, Link would be sporting a notably large wound on his right shoulder, leaving a trail of crimson blood for the monsters to follow.

All that was more than bad enough. But it was nothing compared to what he saw before him.

It was like an ominous, taunting shadow that stood a hundred times taller than the boy was. It was an ugly scarred ogre that had once been a holy, graceful unicorn. It was something that had turned into a reminiscent intimation of a dying beast, once grand in its prime.

It was Hyrule castle.

The turrets were crumpled and winding in an immoral way, and it seemed as if the "life" of the once immense castle, not only in size, had been slowly seeping out. If it had been alive, it would have been in pain…it would have been dying. Where once there were clear skies, there were Keese flying about at high altitudes, no longer wary of archers that would be on patrol to shoot them down. There were no archers to shoot them down.

A deadly emotion struck Link the instant he laid eyes upon Hyrule Castle, which now looked more like a dungeon than a decent castle, and he didn't bother to shut it out, like he had done many times before. Instead, he let it drain into him, for there was no need of prolonging the inevitable any more. 

It was as if someone had dug deep down into the dark remains of his tattered soul, saw what lay there, and dragged it into reality. He had faced his worst nightmare once…he hadn't expected to do so again. He was afraid.

His thoughts where interrupted by certain cackle he knew all too well.

What happened next went all too fast for even a hero to comprehend. 

Link swiftly turned around; bow already in hand, to face a disturbingly large Poe. Red eyes, with its body covered in a gruesome purple "clothing", it had appeared out of thin air, like all Poes have a habit of doing. The dreadful phantom came rushing at him with its lamp swinging in every direction that was possible, almost smacking Link on the forehead, missing by a few inches. Epona neighed and kicked up out of shock and fear, causing her master to tumble to the ground like a rag doll. 

His arm hit the ground with a loud snapping sound, and Link let out a fierce cry in both surprise and in pain. He cursed himself from under his breath for not holding on tighter to the reins. He had fallen once already; you would think he would learn his lesson. 

The Poe hovered mockingly above him, seeming satisfied with its job, cackling in high pitches. The lantern it waved swung recklessly and made Link squint his eyes to see past it. The Poe flew towards the poor young man closer, preparing to finish whatever evil it had planned.

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Whhzzt!

An arrow with a fine black head zipped past the ghost, missing both Link and the ghost by inches.

Grabbing his arm and clutching it close to him, it only caused even more pain, Link concluded. He grabbed for his bow, but did so futilely, for he could not shoot with only one hand. The idea didn't even hit him to look at where the arrow came from until he heard a familiar voice:

"Away, demon. That was fair warning to you; next time, I will not miss."

With that, the Poe glared at the stranger, and in mere seconds, disappeared into the thickened air of the evening. Link noted to himself that it did not disappear the usual way: a look of fright and a cackle, with a spin as a final touch.

"Are you all right, wanderer?" the stranger asked, and Link took it upon himself to look at who had just saved him, ignoring the label he hated so much.

He stared into crimson eyes that held a more welcome place in his past. He stared right through the locks of golden hair and right through his rescuer's false guise. There was no way he could mistake that face, that identity, that soul that held a such special place in his life…

"_P-princess?!"_

A look of surprise from the savior, followed by the question:

"…How do you know that?"

Link, still sprawled on the dirty ground, managed to sit up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arm as best as he could. It was the Princess, all right…the only difference was her illusion as Sheik, but that mattered not. She was still Princess Zelda to him. She was still the Seventh Sage and the one who had guided him in so many miserable times. 

Despite his situation, he brought about a small smile.

He opened his mouth to say something, to tell her who he was and why he was here, to ask a million questions, but drowsiness had taken over. His eyelids felt like lead, and all he wanted to do was lie down. 

Sheik, forgetting her unanswered question, (for the moment, at least) had a look of worry in her eyes.

_"You had better come with me…the castle…. The Poe has…sleeping spell…."_

The Hero of Time didn't get to hear the full of her sentence. Before he knew it, he was unconscious, deep in the land of dreams.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Link opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was a rather cold wind on his face. It cut right past his thin clothing, and poked and prodded him until he would fully awaken. 

He did so, but with the same throbbing pain that wouldn't go away, and his shoulder…

His shoulder was bandaged up in a crude cast, almost pinned to his side to keep it from moving again and causing more pain. Link didn't like it; it made him feel restricted to his own movements, but he felt gratitude for whoever took the trouble to mend it. 

His mind was still groggy, and it took awhile for recent memories to come flooding back. Eventually they did, but in a gray haze, and it took a lot of focus to sort them out from one another. 

"So, you're awake," said a voice from behind him.

Out of a habit that had a tendency to stick to him annoyingly, Link tensed up and turned around fiercely, as if he expected a monster to come charging at him. He did not face this, but instead, he faced Princess Zelda. Her attire was still that of a Sheika's, but the golden mane of hair that covered half her face, was pulled back, and the mask was off.

"Princess!"

No reply. Nothing more than a stern gaze.

"I…I…Where are we?" Link struggled for words.

"I have brought you to Hyrule Castle…It is not as it used to be," she replied quickly, but sadly.

Indeed it wasn't. It looked much worse from the inside than it did looming over Link outside, as hard as it may be to believe. The walls were stained and tarnished, the granite that once was gleaming was cracked and disheveled, and the floor was soiled and almost impossible to stare at without frowning in disgust. There were no more ornamentations decorated throughout the walls. All that was left were the hinges the curtains and portraits once hung upon. It was a sad memory of what once had been.

"Who…are you?" asked the princess, although deep down she already knew the answer.

"You don't remember?" Link put on his smug smile that was usually reserved only for her. "It's me. It's me, Link."

A glimmer of recognition shone for a second in Zelda's azure eyes and she stepped back in awe. 

"…Link? Is it really you?"

"Yes," came the simple reply from the young man, who inside had still nothing more than the simple heart of a child.

There was a moment of pure silence. Nothing else could be heard except the subtle sound of either one's breathing. 

"Princess. I need to-"

Zelda withdrew her arm back and slapped Link across the face in one swift motion.

"…! _What_ was that f-"

"How…how could you?" 

Tears were streaming down from the princess' gentle face, and Link now finally took the time to notice them. Her fists were clenched together and shaking violently.

"How _could you!?_" she screamed again, her cry echoing throughout the halls for the walls to hear.

Link was still in too much of a shock to answer. His face stung like fire and it made his eyes water. Soon he too had tears running down the side of his cheek.

"How could you leave us, Link?! To just abandon us? To just abandon…me?"

Link thought of a thousand things to say in his scattered mind, but all were thrown out the window when he caught the look of his Princess' face. It was so sad. So…betrayed. It broke his own heart into a thousand pieces just to glance at it.

"Do you have any idea how long Hyrule has suffered? …Seven years. Seven long years, Link! Where were you when we needed you most? Where were you when we were struggling to live, struggling to live in peace! _Where were you?!_"

Silence.

"Answer me!!" commanded the broken one.

He couldn't. He simply couldn't. He had no explanation. He couldn't even think of a way to apologize. There was…just nothing. Seven years. _It had must have been a long time,_ he thought. _Too long._

Finally, two words escaped his mouth. Simple and true yet straight from a young hero's heart.

"I'm sorry."

Zelda looked at him with hot tears dripping from her face. 

She fell to her knees, and wept by Link's side.

~*~*~*~*~*~

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End file.
